Fun Facts About Redheads

Have you noticed the number of red headed babies and small children recently? I have, and it got me wondering why there are so many redheaded children, when only 1%-2% of the population has red hair. I don't have the answer as to why there are so many redheads, but I do have some fun facts to tell you about redheads that you may not know.

Redheads have less hair on their heads, in total number of strands. Brunettes have 140,000 strands on their heads and redheads have only 90,000, but the strands on redheads are thicker, so they usually appear to have thick hair. Also, redheaded hair hold its pigment more than any other color, thus it is more difficult to dye. The headstrong nature of redheads relates not just to their personality, but their hair as well.

Red hair and blue eyes is the rarest combination in the world. Both are recessive genes, meaning both parents must have the same coloring. Only 1% of the world's population has this combination.

Redheads are more sensitive to thermal pain, and their bodies are able to change temperature much quicker. Redheaded women bruise more easily, get Parkinson's twice as often as people with other hair color, and they generate their own Vitamin D. They can produce their own vitamin D within their body when exposed to low light conditions.

The Romans kept redheaded slaves at a higher price. They were thought to be strong and determined, and were held in high esteem by the Romans. They were the more expensive slaves. Historically, Russia means "Land of the reds," and boasts a high density of redheads in the Kazan region, over 10% of its people being redheads. Scotland and Ireland have a similar amount of redheads.

Adolf Hitler reportedly banned redheaded marriages, fearing that they would produce "deviant offspring."

Who are some of the famous redheads in history? Here they are, in no particular order: Nero, Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, Napoleon, Queen Elizabeth 1, Oliver Cromwell, Emily Dickinson, Winston Churchill, Galileo, James Joyce, Vivaldi, Mark Twain. Now, can someone tell me why more redheads seem to be out there today?